The power of partnerships and community: These are the building blocks of a new community called the Coral House. As their Web site poignantly says, “We believe that we can accomplish together what none of us could do alone.”

A Christian group started just two years ago, members live together (they own two houses and an apartment) and serve together by caring for the homeless of Palm Beach County, providing food, shelter, clothing and advocacy. Continue reading →

Since a 7.1-magnitude earthquake shook their home on Jan. 12, the people of Haiti have looked to the sky, searching for aid that has been trickling into their shattered country.

There are over 100,000 Haitian immigrants in Miami alone, according to government records. With such a large Haitian community, South Florida has been at the epicenter of Haitian relief efforts.

Missionary Flights International (MFI), whose headquarters are in Fort Pierce, has been flying to Haiti for almost 40 years. MFI provided the first relief flight on the ground in Haiti, aside from the military, arriving less than 24 hours after the earthquake.

In addition to taking supplies such as dry goods and medical necessities, MFI brought back a special passenger load on Jan. 18 — a group of 26 Haitian orphans meeting their new parents for the first time.Continue reading →

The first day of nursing classes was celebrated by “Wearing Pink” in celebration of assistant professor Patricia Amado.

In March 2009 Amado was diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer. Since the diagnosis, she has conquered surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation.

All the students and faculty wore pink to celebrate and support Amado’s return for spring semester. Professor Amado is very dear to each of us, and we continue to pray for continued health and wellness.

With “Race for the Cure” being literally around the corner, the school of nursing has registered a team.

Any student, staff or faculty that would like to join in celebrating and honoring those with breast cancer, see the 2010 Susan G. Komen South Florida Race for the Cure Web site and choose the Palm Beach Atlantic University School of Nursing team.

We look forward to partnering with the community to fight this disease that affects both men and women on Saturday, January 30.

The skeleton-like 30-story building at 1515 South Flagler Drive will come tumbling down on Valentine’s Day.

Contractors will implode the building with dynamite charges placed on several floors. “We’ve designed the blast for the building to come straight down,” said Mark T. Wilburn of Advanced Explosives Demolition.

In a meeting at West Palm Beach City Hall Tuesday, contractors and city officials spoke to about 60 local residents who came with concerns about the effects of the implosion.

“It’s going to crumble as it comes down,” said Ted E. Lolley, a seismic engineer.

The implosion is set for 9 a.m. City officials will ask some close neighbors to evacuate for safety’s sake. Palm Beach Atlantic University properties Flagler Towers and Mango Promenade are not required to evacuate, said President Lu Hardin.

“As the safety of campus residents is the university’s top priority, campus officials will be briefing campus residents in their halls with details on when the implosion will take place and where residents should – and should not – observe the event,” said Hardin. He suggested that interested students watch the implosion from the south sides of the fourth and fifth levels of the Dixie Garage in Oceanview Hall, “for an excellent view from a safe distance.”

Hardin said the event gives the university a chance to be a good neighbor to the evacuated residents. Trinity LLC, the site developer, will provide those displaced condo residents with breakfast and a viewing area at PBA.

The 1515 tower has been deserted and a topic of debate since it was ravaged by hurricanes Frances and Jeanne in 2004.

The developer plans to build a 299-foot tall luxury condominium on the site. The debris from the implosion should be cleared and the area seeded by the end of May, Wilburn said.

Now that the new year is here, The Beacon has a new direction: outward.

“In order to move the program towards excellence, we must get our reporters out in the community as a first step,” said Dr. Duane Meeks, dean of The School of Communication and Media. Meeks also serves as the newspaper’s publisher.

Starting this semester, The Beacon will cover more stories on current events and people throughout the West Palm Beach area. Our reporters will have more of an opportunity to get out into the community and report back to Palm Beach Atlantic University about important news.

The Beacon Blog

The Beacon Blog is the official student blog of the Beacon student newspaper of Palm Beach Atlantic University. Dedicated to covering everything related to Palm Beach Atlantic University and the surrounding area. Breaking news that matters to PBA students, alumni and Palm Beach community members.